I feel like I'm in a completely different dimension of existence. Just yesterday I was clicking around uptown in heels, pulling my black leather jacket closed against the chill, and today I landed in the beautiful resort town of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. I'll be staying at the Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit through the weekend for both business and pleasure. It's a fine line, really--I'm here on a press trip, experiencing the resort so that I can write a travelogue for Phoenix International (formerly VividMagazine), a Chinese luxury lifestyle magazine based in L.A.

It was a long ways from New York City, but has, so far, been well worth it. I came here solo and having a 1,000-square foot suite to myself feels like the ultimate luxury! I couldn't help but roll around on the king sized bed and waltz around the gigantic bathroom. And I can't wait to log in beach time. I'll still do my best to update this blog regularly. In the meantime, you can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram!

This past Monday night, after he did a talk on building a classic brand at Soho House, I came up to Eric Ripert, the celebrated chef and co-owner of the highly acclaimed Le Bernardin, and said hello. "I reviewed your restaurant in 2009 for a Chinese luxury lifestyle publication called Vivid Magazine," I said. There seemed to be a spark of recognition in his eyes, or, I at least assumed so.

"I have to quickly tell you about that day," I said. The restaurant's publicist had made a lunch reservation for me that coincided with my first day at a private equity firm, and I was tasked with telling one of the founding partners that I had a prior lunch commitment and assured him that I would be back in the office shortly thereafter. "And let me guess," interjected Eric, "It was hours!" YES. Try three hours. It was a full-on Chef's Tasting Menu with paired with a different wine for every course.

I was sloshed by the third course, which was exactly when I started receiving text messages from my new boss. "I hope you didn't lose your new job," he said, laughing. Thankfully, no, because I had asked the maître d' if the kitchen could assemble a box of petits fours for me to bring back to work and they did. I told a little white lie that it was a gift from Chef Ripert himself. All was forgiven.

I fully respect Eric Ripert. He has a calm, Zen-like elegance and truly believes in perfecting his craft and staying humble. He shared a story about what his mentor had once told him: "When you read an article that praises you and says great things about you, read it once and put it away. When you read a bad review, keep it on your desk and look at it everyday."

Later that night, I received a Twitter notification that I had a new follower: @ericripert. I couldn't have felt more honored!